Geopolitics, Ego Over Humanity? IndiGo Flight in Storm After Pak Denies Airspace Access

Every day at the airport seems like a normal day until unusual things begin to occur. Passengers arrive at the airport, under-go security checks, check-in their luggage and wait patiently at the gate until boarding begins. Soon after their flight departs, they find ways to pass the time until it lands. Wait, what are we missing? Turbulence. The events of turbulence are beyond one’s control as the weather is unpredictable. Sometimes there are minor episodes of turbulence, but sometimes there are major ones. May 21, 2025, was a major day of turbulence for 227 passengers on IndiGo flight 6E2142. They were flying from Delhi to Srinagar. However, little did they know that their flight would become the centre of a horrid aviation incident. 

So, what happened to flight 6E2142? The aircraft, an Airbus A321neo, had to fly through a violent hailstorm and severe turbulence. Why? This all happened because both Indian Air Force controllers and Pakistani air traffic control denied the crew’s requests to change their flight path. This incident raises a major concern about what is more important? Geopolitical tensions or safety of passengers? And what happened to the aircraft? It had no choice but to go through the hailstorm and severe turbulence and due to this, it suffered structural damage to the aircraft’s nose cone. Needless to say, that all passengers went through a ‘near-death experience’. 

What would have happened if things didn’t worked out as they did? What would have happened if they couldn’t land in Srinagar? All these questions have begun to surface such as the gaps in emergency aviation protocols across international borders. 

Weather Conditions That Changed Everything:

We are experiencing unpredictable weather everywhere in the country. Hailstorms, thunder, heavy rainfall and strong winds. Everything was normal when Indigo flight 6E2142 was cruising along at 36,000 feet. But as soon as they reached near Pathankot, things got really hairy as they flew straight into a massive thunderstorm. It wasn’t just any storm. It was part of this huge weather system that had been causing trouble in northwestern India from Punjab all the way to Uttar Pradesh. Sadly, this storm had already caused a lot of damage and even led to over 50 deaths. The weather was turbulent. According to the experts, the thunderstorm was huge, reaching up to 3 kilometres high and it was capable of producing large hailstones. The fact that it caused so much damage in several states just shows how intense it was definitely one of the worst storms in a while.

As the aircraft approached the storm system, the flight crew recognized the danger they were going to encounter. Hence, they began to seek alternative routes. Initially, the crew thought of requesting deviation clearance from the Indian Air Force’s Northern Control which manages military airspace along sensitive border regions. As per this request, they sought permission to deviate leftward toward the international border with Pakistan, just to get out of the path of this crazy storm.

The Blunt ‘No’ in Emergency Situation: 

Usually, commercial flights follow a script. Pilots make announcements, cabin crew serve meals, and passengers either nap, read, or watch movies, patiently waiting to arrive at their destination. But sometimes, that routine gets violently disrupted. Unpredictable situations can throw everything into chaos, especially when geopolitics and severe weather collide. The Indian Air Force’s Northern Control denied the crew’s initial request to change the path toward the international border. This denial was so obvious as we all know the current tensions along the India-Pakistan border. Also, the IAF Nothern Control saw it as a security risks near the India-Pakistan border.

Faced with this refusal, the pilots took a highly unusual step. In a moment of crisis, they directly contacted Lahore Air Traffic Control in Pakistan. They requested temporary access to Pakistani airspace to avoid the severe weather system. It was a call for help to prioritize passenger safety as their moral duty. Yet, the geopolitical realities struck again. Pakistani authorities, citing airspace restrictions in place since April 2025, denied the emergency request.

Geopolitics, Ego Over Humanity? 

Normally, when a plane faces a dangerous situation like a severe storm, the priority is always the safety of everyone on board. You would expect neighboring countries to cooperate, especially when it’s a matter of avoiding such a disaster. But naturally, for Pakistan, ego is important rather than humanity. They have proven once again how they play lowly when it comes to humanitarian grounds. This situation with IndiGo flight 6E2142 took a different turn because of such petty politics.

Pakistan’s refusal to grant temporary access to their airspace was a big deal. As we know Pakistan had completely banned Indian aircraft from flying through their airspace as their response to Pahalgam attack. Now as soon as this incident happened, they have even extended this ban until June 24th, 2025. Look at the timing of that. Just two days after the IndiGo incident. This timing shows the sensitivity of these geopolitical decisions. The Pakistan Airports Authority’s statement stated the ban applies to all Indian-registered, operated, owned, or leased aircraft, including military aircraft. So basically, a complete barrier to Indian aviation access.

For our readers, let us clarify that under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules it is permittable such restrictions for one-month periods. So, even though the IndiGo flight was facing a dangerous storm and just needed a quick detour, they ran into this pre-existing political barrier.

The Only Alternative For Pilots:

Since both requests were denied, the flight crew had only two alternatives. Alternative one, is to return to Delhi; alternative two, continue through the storm system. However, they were already so close to the storm clouds that turning back could be too risky. As there was no alternative left, they made the difficult decision to just go for it and fly through the storm, taking the shortest path towards Srinagar.

You can only imagine what that was like and what must have all the passengers and crew had to go through. As soon as they entered the storm, it was chaos. The plane was hit by incredibly strong winds pushing it up and then suddenly down. This violent shaking caused all sorts of alarms to go off and mechanics failure. Even the autopilot, which usually helps keep the plane steady, couldn’t handle it and shut off. That meant the pilots had to take over complete manual control of the aircraft, battling against these extreme forces. It must have been an incredibly intense and scary situation, pushing the plane and the pilots to their absolute limits.

The Chaos Inside:

Inside the passenger cabin, the situation was no better. It was equally terrifying and chaotic. A video footage captured by passengers is being widely shared everywhere. This clip shows the intense fear and panic of 227 people on board. They were screaming, praying, and clutching their seats as the aircraft shook violently. Even frequent lightning flashes could be seen through the windows. Among these passengers, there were five Trinamool Congress leaders, (including Derek O’Brien and Nadimul Haque). All passengers described it as a ‘near-death,’ experience. This was the most traumatic and dreadful experience of their life. The presence of small children among the passengers that added further distress to this situation. Their cries could be heard clearly in the viral video recordings, and we can only imagine how excruciating it must be for all of them.

Let’s See What Happened When.

Usually, humanitarian principles come forth during aviation emergencies. Principles that suggest that civilian aircraft in distress should receive assistance. No matter how grave the political tensions between the two nations are. Now ever since this incident had happened, aviation experts have expressed their worries about the denial of emergency airspace access. Such denial will be important and a matter of concern in future emergency situations. Also, pre-negotiation of emergency access agreements between neighboring countries beforehand is necessary. Especially when the regions have frequent political tensions such as India and Pakistan.

Corporate Soldiers salutes the courage and professionalism that the IndiGo crew has shown for the safety of all souls on board!